Device for harvesting, binding, and shocking corn.



l N. WILSON. DBVIOE F011 HARVBSTING, BINDING, AND SHOGKING ooRN.

APPLICATION FILED PEBJB, 1903.

Patented Jan 10, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' 1 ttys.

'rl-1: NoRRIs Ps1-:Rs cn., wAsHlNcToN, D. c.

N. WILSON. DEVICE FOB. HARVES'TING, BINDING, ANDSHOGKINQ CORN.

APPLICATION FILED FEBXS. 1908.

` Patent-,ea Jan. 10, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v nu m A m w j@ THE NaRms PETERS cu., wAsHmcraN, a. z:`

AND SHOGKING CORN.

' APPLIUATIOH FILED FEB. 15, 1908. 981,048. Patented Jan. 10,1911.

4 SHEETS*SHBET 3.

1HE NoRRls PETERS cm. WASHINGTON, l:4 c.

A N. WILSON'. DEVIGE FOR HARVESTING, BINDING, AND SHOGKING CORN.

APPLIOATION I'ILED 111111.15, 190s.

4 SHEETS-SHBET 4.

- .Z Mor,

,THE NaRms PE1-ERS co1, WASHINGTON, D c.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

NOAH WILSON, 0F PERU, INDIANA.

DEVICE FOR HARVESTING, BINDING, .AND SHOCKING CORN.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 10, 191.1.

Application filed February 15, 1908. Serial No. 416,069.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOAH WILSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Peru, in the county of Miami and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Harvesting,Binding, and Shocking Corn, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for harvesting and shocking corn, moreparticularly for harvesting fodder corn, and has for its object toprovide a simply constructed device whereby two rows of the product maybe harvested, and shocked simultaneously.

- Another object of the invention is to provide novel mechanical meanswhereby the operations of cutting and shocking the corn areaccomplished.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in thenovel construction of apparatus herein shown and described andspecically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings employed forillustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is aplan view of the improved apparatus complete. Fig. 2 is a detail planview of the dumping portion of the shock receptacle with the carrierbelts or bottom of the receptacle in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4.Fig. 3 is an elevation from the grain side. Fig. 4 is a section in theline 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 ofFig. l. Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view partly in section of theharvesting portion of the apparatus. `Fig. 7 is a detail viewillustrating the arrangement and operation of the tripping mechanism ofthe retarders of the tilting shock discharge device. Fig. 8 is anenlarged plan View of one pair of the packer fingers between thereceivers and the feeding devices. Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectionaldetail of the clutch mecha-y nism of the packer fingers. Fig. 10 is asectional detail of the mechanism for actuating the shock dischargingdevice. Fig. 11 is a side elevation partly in section of the mechanismfor controlling the packer fingers.

The improved apparatus comprises abed frame 10 upon which the operatingmechanism is mounted, the bed frame carrying the main ground wheel 11which is utllized. 1n the ordinary manner to actuate the moving parts ofthe apparatus, one of the ordinary` bearing wheels being indicated at12. The forward portion of the supporting frame will be `extended to asuiicient extent to carryk two separate harvesting or cutting devices`suiiiciently spaced apart to harvest two rows of corn, the rows beingspaced generally between three and four feet apart. One of the cuttingdevices will be arranged for adjustment transversely of the head frameand likewise transversely of the line of travel of the machine, so as toadapt it to varying distan'bes between the rows of corn.

The cutting or harvesting appliances comprise sickle devices, diverginggathering boards or plates, suitable feeding devices, such as endlesschains having projecting fingers or teeth, independent guide ways alsoprovided with endless feeding chains having projecting fingers or teeth,each guide way leading to a receiver into which the harvested corn isconducted and thence carried to the binder and there held until asuflicient quantity has accumulated to form a shock or bundle prior tobeing discharged from the machine.

Any suitable binding mechainsm may be employed, and as the bindingmechanism is not necessarily a part of the present invention, portionsof a conventional binder mechanism only are shown, a suflicient numberof the parts being shown to illustrate the operation in co-action withthe mechanism for feeding the material from the cutters or harvestingportion to the shock receptacle of j the binder mechanism. f

verging gathering boards or plates 20-21,

and arranged relative to the sickle 14 are similar gathering boards22-23. l The gathering boards 20-21 are attached to the adjustable frame58 for a purpose hereinafter understood.

Leading rearwardly .and thence laterally from the rear converging endsof the gathering boards 20-21 are spaced guide ways 24-25, preferably ofsheet metal, and of sufficient height and at sufficient distances apartto enable the harvested corn to be conducted between them and maintainedin vertical position, a suitable iioor 26 being arranged at the bottomof the guide ways 24-25 and upon which the butt ends of the sprocketwheels over which endless chains 34--35-36 are arranged, the chainshaving fingers or teeth at intervals which project into the spacebetween the gathering boards 20-21 and likewise into the space between,Vthe guide ways 24-25, so that the corn is conducted into the portion 27of the receiver as fast as it is cut. The chain 34 is provided withteeth 37, the chain 35 is provided with teeth 38 and the chain 36 isprovided with teeth 39, so that when motion is imparted to the variouschains, the cut corn will be forcibly carried through the spacebetweenthe various guide ways into .the receiver, as before stated.

Leading rearwardly and thence laterally from the rear converging ends oft-he gathering boards 22--23 are spaced guide ways 40-41 similar to andextending parallel with the guide ways 24-25 and spaced therefrom, theguide ways 40-41 being also of sheet metal and of substantially the sameheight as the guide ways 24-25 to enable the material harvested betweenthe gathering boards 22-23 to be conducted between the guide ways 40-41in a vertical position,

a suit-able floor 42 being arranged at the bottom of the guideways 40-41and upon which the butt ends of the harvested corn bear, in the samemanner as in the guide ways leading from the gathering boards V2021. Attheir discharge ends the guide ways 40-41 terminate in the portion 43 ofthe receiver which is similar to the portion 27 of the receiver, andthrough which the harvested corn is caused to pass by the action ofsuitable packer fingers 44 similar to the fingers 28 of the .receiverportion 27.

. Arranged at suitable intervals adjacent to the lgathering boards 22-23and the sheet metal guideways 40-41 are vertical shafts 45-46-47-48-49,these shafts carrying sprocket wheels over which endless chains 50-51-52are arranged, the chains having fingers or teeth at intervals whichproject into the space between the gathering boards 22-23 and likewiseinto the space between the guide ways 404l, so that the material isconducted into the receiver portion 43 as fast as it is cut. The chain50 is provided with teeth 53, the chain 51 is provided with teeth 54,and the chain 52 is provided with teeth 55, so that when motion isimparted to the various chains, the cut material will be forciblycarried into the receiver portion 43 in the same manner as the materialis carried into the receiver portion 27, as before described.

The two sets of guide ways 24-25 and 40w-41 are arranged obliquelybetween the two sets of gathering boards and the receiver, and inparallel relation.

At the points where the passage ways between the gathering boards andthe receiver turn at angles it may be necessary to provide the shafts 30and 46, respectively, with lateral fingers or arms 56-57, to operate atthese points within the spaces between the guide ways, and thus obviateany tendency of the cut material to become clogged.

The shafts 29-30-31-32-33 are monnted upon a separate framework 58 andprovided with means, such as slots 73-74 and clamp bolts -76 foradjustment transverse to the line of draft and parallel to the cuttingmechanism operating in connection with the gathering boards 22-23 sothat the gathering mechanism associated with the gathering boards 20-21may be adjusted to `correspond to the varying widths of the spacesbetween the rows of plants, the chains 36-36 being correspondinglyshortened or lengthened by removing or inserting a sufficient number oflinks thereof in the usual manner.

The guide members 24-25 are overlapped by the inner ends of thegathering boards 20-21, so that gaps will not occur between the partswhen the gathering boards 20-21 are adjusted toward and away from thegathering boards 22-23. i

The aXle of the ground wheel 11 is arched, as shown at 59, to carry thewheel l1, and thence extends in opposite directions as at 60 andconnected to the frame 10. Swinging upon the projecting portion 60 ofthe 'axle is a hood 61 and extending over the ground wheel, and swingingupon the axle yportion 60 are guard plates 62-63 spaced from thevertical sides of the hood, as shown. Journaled through the hood andguard plates at one end is a shaft 64 carrying drums (S5-66, andjournaled in the other end of the hood and in the guard plates are drums(S7- 68, with endless belts (5970 carried by the drums and provided withspaced transverse slats 71-72. The spaces between the guard plates(i2-63 and the hood forln guide ways or portions of the receiver 7 6-77see Fig. 5, having the endless slattcd belts at their bottoms, theendless slatted belts, hood and guard plates being thus arranged to rockupon the axle members 60, so that the rear end of the rocking device maybe lowered and the forward end elevated, as shown by dotted lines inFig. 4, to

enable the shock of material after being f in the dotted lines, Vandthus form stops to bound by any suitable binding mechanism to be morereadily discharged. The forward ends of the hood 61 and of the guardplates G2-03 are provided with swinging. stop members 78-7 9 to formclosures to the forward ends of the guide ways 7 6-7 7 when the forwardend is elevated into the position shown prevent the material passingfrom the receiver portions 27-43 when the rocking device is indischarging position, as hereafter explained.

As before stated, motion will be imparted to the various shafts, and tothe sickle device from the main drive wheel 11, and prefer- 3 ably asshown in the drawings. The operating means shown comprises a sprocketwheel S0 upon the axle from which the chain 18 is conducted to asprocket wheel on a counter t shaft 81 and thence through gears 19through a main shaft 15, the sickle mechanism being operativelyconnected to the shaft 15, as blefore described. The various toothedchains 34-35-3'6-50-51-52 are likewise adapted to be operated from theshaft 15 through the medium of gears 82-83 and a chain 84C, the lat-terrunning over sprocket wheels on the shafts associated with the chains attheir receiver ends, as indicated by dotted 4lines in F ig. 1.

The means shown for actuating and con trolling the movement of thetilting shock discharging device may be of any desired construction, butthe one shown comprisesa lever 102 pivoted intermediate the ends at 103to the frame 10 and connectedat one end by a rod 104 to the hood 61 andconnected 'at the other end by a link 105 to an arm 10S attached to arock shaft 107 mounted for oscillation upon the frame 10. Attached tothe rock shaft 107 is a lever 108 extending to a point convenient to thedrivers seat 97 and provided with a spring pawl 109 engaging a toothedsegment 110. By this meansy the tilting device is 'under the control ofthe driver. As the lever 108 is convenient for manipulation by thedriver without him leaving his seat, the tilting device may be operatedconveniently and at the proper time.

lVhile I have shown an operative imeans for transmit-ting the motionfrom the wheel 11 to the various moving parts of the device, it will beunderstood that l do not desire to be limited thereto, as variousmodifications may be made in the device without departing from theprinciple of the invention. i

Any desired form of binder mechanism may be employed in connection withthe device, but for the 'purpose of illustration, l have shown aconventional needle arm Iat 85 mounted for vertical adjustment upon ashaft 86, the latter suported in a suitable frame work 87 rising fromthe frame 10, l

. -96 are also arranged above the endless slatted belts and adapted tobe engaged yby the upper portions of the material as it is conductedthrough the receivers 27-43 and 'thence into the guide-ways 76-77 of thetilting shock receptacle and retained in a vertical position while beingconducted to the binder mechanism, the. rods being adjustable vertially.

A draft' clevis is arranged at 98 and provided with aplurality of spacedapertures 99, to enable the tongue or draft evener to be adjustedrelative to the frame 10 to equal iZe the line of draft and avoid sidedraft.

By this arrangement, it will be obvious that two rows of corn or othermaterial -may be harvested, bound andshocked simultaneously,thusmaterially expeditinlg` thexoperation and reducing the time andlabor-'neo essary to harvest the crop.

TheA packer members 28-44 are `of the usual form employed in grainbinders, 'and Will operate in the same manner, and will alsoy performthe two-fold function of packer 4lingers to force "the material .fromthe chain conveyer devices into the guideways 76-77 and will beprovidedf with` automatic means whereby the packer fin gers will berigidly heldstationary *and lpro- 1:05 jecting across the receiverportions .Q7-43 toa sutlicient extent to hold the material back whilethe tilting device is in its discharging position and thus preventingthe. feeding action during the time the tilting 110 device is in itsdischarging posit-ion. As before `stated kany type of means Vmay beemployed for producing the twofold action of the packer lingers butthere is illustrated in Figs. 1, 9 and 11 `one form of means for L15this purpose which consists of 'vertical shafts indicated respectivelyat `r11B-1111 carrying the arms -116 of the 'usual form and coupled bytheir ends respectively to thewpacker lingers 28e-141. The 'shafts 12.0

clutch mechanism is constructed as follows.

Surrounding the `shaft 113 is asleeve 117 slidable upon the shaft forashort distance and `adapted tobe rotated therewith, asby a feather 118operating in a corresponding channel within the sleeve. By this means itwill be obvious that the sleeve partakes of the rotary motion of theshaft, while at the same time it is slidable thereon, and the meansemployed for producing the sliding motion consists of a grooved collar119 in which a shipper lever 120 is connected in the ordinary manner.The sleeve 117 is supportedfor rotation in a stationary bearing member121 connected to or formed integral with a suitable standard 122, thelatter connected in any suitable manner to the Hoor of the frame 10. Thehub 123 of the arms 115 is mounted for rotation upon this bearing member121, being supported thereon by a suitable flange 124 and a removablecollar 125. The lower face of the hub member 123 is provided with clutchteeth 126 whileY the upper fape of the hub member is provided withclutch teeth 127. Slidably disposed upon the bearing 121 between the hub123 and the standard 122 is a movable clutch member 128 having teeth 129adapted to engage with the teeth 126, while another clutch member 130 isconnected to the `upper end of the sleeve 117 and provided withdepending clutch teeth 131 adapted to engage the teeth 127.Dependingfrom the clutch member 128 are pins 132 extending through thestandard 122 and adapted to be engaged by a flange 133 upon the sleeve117. The pins thus serve the twofold function of means for operating themember 128 and to hold the member 128 from rotation upon the standard122. The parts will be so arranged that when the Y sleeve Y117 is in itslower position, as shown inV Fig. 9, the clutch member 130 will engagethe clutch teeth 127 by its teeth 131 V'and thus couple the hub 123 withthe shaft V113, so that the hub and its arms 115 are i rotated by theshaft. lThen when the shipwhile at the same time the elevation of thesleeve V117 will also elevate the member 130 and disconnect the teeth131 from t-he teeth 127, thereby coupling the hub 123 with thenon-rotative member 128, and hold the hub 123, its arms 115, and thepacker fingers 28 rigidly in position, and as one of the packer fingersalways projects across the receiver portion 27, the material being fedin bythe conductor chains 35-36 will be held back and prevented frombeing fed upon the belt 69. In this connection it will be obvious that,as before stated, the guard 78 co-acts with the stationary packerfingers to hold Vthe cut material back during the dischargingoperationof the tilting device.

The shaft 114 extends below the ioor of the frame 10 and' is providedwith a bevel gear co-acting with a similar bevel gear on a short countershaft 134, and the counter shaft is provided with a small sprocket wheel135 in position to be engaged by the chain 18, whereby the motion of thechain will be communicated to the shaft 114. The shafts 113 and 114 areprovided with chain pulleys over which an endless chain, indicated at136, is arranged, so that the motion of the shaft 114 will becommunicated to the shaft 113.

The shipper levers by which the double acting clutch devices areoperated extend downwardly, as shown`in Fig. 11 and connected to levers137-138, the later connected to another lever 140, the latter extendinginto the path of the lever 102, so that when the lever 108 is operatedto actuate the shock discharging devices, as above described, theelevation of the rear end of the lever 102 will cause the latter toengage the lever 140 and thus throu h the levers 137-138 aotuate theshipper evers of the clutch devices and automatically disconnect bothsets of packer fingers and dispose them in stationary positionautomaticall with the operation of the tilting discharge evices.

While I have shown an operative mechan'ism for accomplishing the variousmovements, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limitednecessarily to the precise mechanism disclosed, as various changeswithin the scope of the appended claims may be made without departingfrom the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of theadvantages.

The guide rods 95-96 are provided with standard 145-146 directeddownwardly into one of the vertical members of the frame 87-89, andadjustable therein by means of set screws 147-148 so that the guide rods95-96 may be adjusted vertically to correspond to the lengths ofmaterial passing into the receiver portions 7 6-77 the rods 95-96operating upon the material to converge it toward the center and inposition to be engaged by the binding mechanism.

The material after being severed by the cutting appliances is conductedinto the receiver which is divided by the hood int-o two parts with theupper portion of the receiver united above the hood and the materialcompressed above the hood by the rods 95-96 to enable the bindermechanism to engage the material. As the material is fed into thereceiver by the action of the packers 28- and 44, the endless belts69-70 acting against the butt ends of the material assist in carrying itforward and retain it in a vertical posit-ion. When a suflicientquantity has accumulated to produce a shock, the tilting action of thereceiver above described takes place, and the guard 7 8-7 9 is elevatedgano/is to prevent the material from passing over the belts during thedischarging operations, the material being held back by the stopping ofthe motion of the packers Z8- 44, as hereinbefore described. The endlessbelts 697O are continuous in their operation, but owing to theirrelatively@ slight friction and pressure upon the material, they do notinterfere with the binding and discharging operations, and performsubstantiallyk the same function as butting devices of grain binders. Y

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new Aand desire tosecure by Letters Patent is :h p

l. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a mainframe, cutting devices arranged to operate on two rows of plants, atilting shock receptacle, feeding means between said cutting devices andthe receptacle, means at the discharge end of said receptacle forholding the material therein, means for simultaneously tilting saidreceptacle and releasing said holding means, and means for holding thematerial back from the receptacle during the tilting action.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a mainframe, cutting devices carried by said frame, a tilting shockreceptacle, feeding means between said cutting devices and receptacle,other feeding devices between said first mentioned feeding means andreceptacle, means at the discharge end of the receptacle for holding thematerial therein, means for simultaneously actuating said tiltingreceptacle and releasing said holdin@ means, and means for holding saidother feeding devices stationary during the tilting action.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame, a gathering device,a cutting device, a receiver, means for conducting the material to thereceiver, a tilting shock receptacle including a bottom formed of anendless belt to carry the material to the rear of the receptacle, meansto conduct the material from the receiver to the receptacle, and meansconstructed and arranged to obstruct the passage between the receiverand receptacle when the latter is tilted.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame, a gathering device,a cutting device, a receiver, means for' conducting the material to thereceiver, a tilting shock receptacle including a bottom formed of anendless belt to carry the material to the rear of the receptacle, meansto conduct the material from the receiver to the receptacle, andswinging means arranged for operation upon tilting the receptacle toobstruct the passage between the receiver and receptacle to stop feed ofthe material to the latter.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame, a gathering device,a receiver, means for conducting the material from the gathering deviceto the receiver, a tilting shock receptacle provided with a movablebottom, means to conduct the material from the receiver to thereceptacle, the receptacle having a central hood which forms a partitionand which divides the receptacle centrally, and swinging means operableupon tilting movement of the receptacle to obstruct the passage betweenthe receiver and receptacle to stop the feed of the material to thereceptacle when the latter is tilted.

v6. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame, adriving ground wheel carried by said supporting frame, a shockreceptacle including a guard hood extending over said ground wheel, areceiver at each side and in front of said hood, two cutting devicescarried by said supporting frame and arranged for operationsimultaneously upon two rows vof plants, means for conducting the cutmaterial respectively from said cutting devices to said receivers, meansfor feeding said material from said receivers to said shock receptacle,and means for transmitting motion from the ground wheel to saidconducting and feeding mechanism.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame, a drivinOground wheel carried by said supporting frame, a shock receptacle havinga movable bottom and also including a hood disposed over the groundwheel, a receiver at each side and in front of said hood, two cuttingdevices carried by the framega-nd arranged to operate upon two rows ofplants, means for conducting the cut material from the cutting devicesto said receivers, means for feeding the material from the receivers tosaid receptacle, and means for transmitting the motion of the groundwheel to the conducting and feeding mechanisms and to the movable bottomof the shock receptacle.

8. In an apparatus ofthe class described, a frame, two gathering devicesdisposed at one side of said frame, a carrier wheel supportingsaid framenear t-he other Side thereof, a cutter device for each of said gatheringdevices, a shock receptacle, receivers for the material disposed inadvance of said receptacle, conducting means between said gatheringdevices and receivers, and feeding means between the receivers and theshock receptacle, said shock receptacle having its bottom formed ofendless carrier belts disposed at opposite sides of said wheel andoperating to conduct the material toward the rear of the shockreceptacle.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame, an axleconnected to said frame, a carrier wheel mounted for r0- tation uponsaid axle, a hood extending over said wheel and swinging upon the axle,guard plates spaced from the hood and swinging upon the axle, endlesscarrier belts disposed between said guard plates and hood and swingingtherewith, gathering devices carried by said frame, a cutter device foreach of said gathering devices, receivers disposed in advance of saidcarrier belts,

, conducting meansbetween said receivers and gathering devices, means toconduct the material from the receivers to said endless belts,

f means for transmitting the motion of said i'o` wheel to said cutters,and means for transmitting the motion ofthe wheel to both of saidconducting means.

. 10. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame, acarrier wheel mounted for rotation upon said frame, two gatheringdevices carried by said frame, a shock receptacle including carrierbelts operating the frame, a carrier wheel mounted for rotation upon theaxle, a hood extending over said'wheel and swinging upon said axle,

guard plates spaced from said hood and swinging from said axle, endlessVcarrier belts disposed between said guard plates and hood and swingingtherewith, gathering devices carried by the frame, a cutting device theforward ends of sai for each of said gathering devices, means forconducting the material from the gathering devices, means forswingingthe liood and guard plates, and swin `ing uard plates at hoog and theaforesaid guard plates for operation when the first mentioned guardplates are swung upon the axle to arrest the feeding of material to thespaces, between the hood and first mentioned guard plates.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, a supporting frame, an axleconnected to said frame, a carrier wheel mounted for rotation on saidaxle, a tilting receptacle including guard plates and a bottom composedof endless carrier belts, the receptacle also g including a central hoodforming a partition and being mounted to swing upon said axle Iand thebelts being disposed between the guard plates and hood and swingingvtherewith, gathering devices carried by said frame, a cutter for eachof said gathering devices, receivers disposed in advance of saidreceptacle, conducting means between the receivers and gatheringdevices, other Iguard plates between said belts of the re- 1 ceptacleand the receiver whereby stops are formed between the receiver and beltswhen the receptacle is tilted to discharge the material.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' NOAH IVILSON. Witnesses J. E. MADDOCK, M. A. IVILsQN.

